The Serpent Within
by Aelin08
Summary: Hermione and Ron abandon Harry as their jealousy consumes them. Who will he turn to now? Daphne Greengrass of course. Will the Ice Queen and the other snakes help Harry embrace his destiny? Starts in 4th year. Grey Harry and eventual HP/DG. ON HOLD FOR NOW
1. Shifting Alliances

**December 17, 1994**

 **8:00 am**

Harry sat on the far end of Gryffindor table, far from the rest of his house. He was unsurprised to see that he was on the receiving end of many glares and whispers. Harry was still in shock from the events of last night. His best friends had abandoned him in a blink of an eye when his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. How could they honestly think that he had put his name in there?! Didn't they know him by now? He didn't want trouble; it usually found him. He recalled the events from last night.

 _Flashback_

 _Harry walked numbly back to the common room. He dreaded going back. The whole common room would probably turn on him like they had when his Parseltongue abilities had come to light. Someone was really out to make his life miserable. He hadn't put his name in the goblet, but someone had. He just didn't know who wanted to see him dead. He stopped outside the Fat Lady's Portrait._

" _Password?" she enquired snootily._

" _Balderdash." She harumphed , but let him in. He entered and was met with a relatively full common room. What surprised him the most however was the fact that Ron stood in the center, glaring at him with hateful eyes._

" _Well, well. Finally, the Famous Harry Potter decides to return."_

 _Harry stared at his best friend of three years, aghast. "Ron?"_

" _He's right, Harry." Hermione accused. "All the attention goes to you. I am sick of risking my neck just so you can get more glory. Ron and I have put up with enough of it, and we're just done!" She ended with a hysterical shriek._

 _The dam just broke. Ron's jealousy had finally got the best of him. "DON'T YOU HAVE ENOUGH FAME!" Ron bellowed. "EVERYTHING GETS HANDED TO YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE THE STUPID BOY-WHO-WOULDN'T-DIE AND-_

" _-and what, Ron?" Harry asked quietly. "I don't ask for anything to happen to me. I never asked for fame and recognition. I would rather have two parents, a family, and not be famous. If I was offered that, I would trade in everything in a heartbeat. You don't know how that feels, because you have a family that loves, cares, and spoils you! DON'T PRETEND THAT YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE! YOU'VE BEEN JEALOUS OF ME EVER SINCE YOU MET ME! OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH!" As soon as he had said the last word, his shoulders slumped. "You know what? I don't even care anymore. Just. . . whatever." He walked up the stairs and closed the door shut. He was done with those people. They just never learned._

 _The common room was stunned to say the least. Harry was a kind-hearted boy who was passionate, yes, but he never yelled or tried to disrespect anyone purposefully. If he lost his cool, that definitely meant something._

 _Flashback End_

o0o0o0o0

Suddenly something clicked in Harry. Maybe it was time to expose their friendship. He had never told anyone of her because he had feared the reactions from his housemates. She too had agreed that she didn't want to be associated with Gryffindor's Golden Boy However, now he was already the most hated person in all the school except for Snape, so it wouldn't really hurt or help him. Yes, maybe it was a good idea to reveal his secret friendship now. He got up and walked through the halls with a new purpose. He strode with purpose and rounded the corner. Now he could make out Draco and his possy. A few steps in front were a gang of girls. He strode towards them and bumped into the girl on the outside, ignoring the cries of outrage his actions had caused. He helped her book up her books, and unbeknownst to anyone, slipped a note in her potions book. She nodded imperceptibly. Good.

"Sorry about that. Here you go." With that, he handed her the remaining books on the floor and continued on his way to Transfiguration, ignoring Draco's jeer of "Have you made preparations for your funeral?"

o0o0o0o0

It was currently 10:01. Harry Potter was late.. . as usual. The blond-haired girl huffed and tapped her foot impatiently. Suddenly she felt a warm presence and Harry appeared from underneath his invisibility cloak. His face was weary and exhaustion was clear on his face. She immediately engulfed him in a warm embrace. He didn't deserve this.

"Thanks, Daph," he said quietly. "You're my best friend and I don't know what I would do without you."

She smiled, albeit a little sadly, but didn't say anything.

"I am tired of just standing alone and being portrayed as an attention seeker. People can always read me like a book and they exploit my weaknesses. I want you to teach me the ways of Slytherin. I want to learn about my heritage and history-everything. Maybe I'll be a little more prepared if I come face-to-face with Voldemort again."

"Are you sure," she asked softly. "You'll have to be two different people."

"I'm sure, Daphne. The Sorting Hat said I would do well in Slytherin. I'm confident that I will be able to handle it," he replied firmly. He hesitated a little on the next part and approached with caution. "Also, I was thinking of making a . . . ah, _truce_ , with Mal-Draco. He's obviously educated on a lot of the aspects of pureblood customs and technically speaking I am related to him, even if it's distantly. I just think he could be of a little help. I'm sure a few words and time will soothe his injured pride."

Daphne had a peculiar expression on her face as she considered his proposition. "This means our friendship will be exposed, won't it?"

"Yes," he admitted rather reluctantly.

She studied him for a moment, then nodded in acceptance. "If it means so much to you Harry, I will do it."

He released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and gave her a soft smile. "Thanks, Daph."

o0o0o0o0

The next day, several people did double takes and rubbed their eyes to see if they were functioning properly. There was a Slytherin and a Gryffindor walking side by side and actually _talking._ Several people even gasped when Harry and Daphne sat down at the very edge of the Slytherin table. Soon after they began eating, a frown fell across Daphne's face and Harry turned to look at the newcomer.

There stood Draco Malfoy, the notorious, arrogant Slytherin Prince. His hair looked as if several bottles of gel had been dumped onto it and his expression was twisted into his usual sneer. "What are you doing here, Potter, and why are you talking to Greengrass?" he demanded.

Harry stood up. "I was actually waiting for you to come here." Harry then brought the surprised pureblood heir up to speed about his and Daphne's secret friendship and how his life had drastically changed.

Malfoy looked absolutely shocked for a few moments, before faintly saying, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, it's not a joke. I think you were right in saying I chose the wrong friends. Look where I am now. They betrayed me because they think I am an attention-seeking hog. I know that it will take a long time before you and I can say we're friends because of the animosity in the past, but I wanted to propose a truce." He paused for a moment so Malfoy could digest all the information being thrown at him. "What do you think, Malfoy. Truce?" Harry stuck out his hand. Soon, another pale hand shook it.

"I can work with that, Potter."

Harry smirked. "Good. I need your help on political matters."

Malfoy gave him a long look. "How very Slytherin of you"

"Well, the Sorting Hat almost put me in Slytherin." Harry, ignoring Malfoy's gobsmacked expression, continued on with a grin on his face. "First order of business: wizarding traditions and customs."

 **A.N. So that's the first chapter of my new fic. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	2. An Introduction to the Pureblood World

Chapter 2:

Draco arched an eyebrow at his former nemesis. "You want a whole introduction on how to become a proper pureblood heir?"

"Yes," Harry replied firmly. "I think that if I use some political influence, I can make more of a change. I mean look at me right now. I am in danger every single year I am at Hogwarts. First year I had to fend off Quirrell and save the stone. Second year, I killed the basilisk that was petrifying everybody. Third year. . ." Harry trailed off.

"What about third year?" Draco asked with a knowing glint in his stormy eyes.

Harry studied him closely with narrowed eyes. "You already know what. . . or should I say _who_ I am talking about, don't you?" Harry accused.

He merely smirked. "Yeah, my father told me how _**serious**_ the situation was." Suddenly the grin slipped off his face. "But it was wrong that he was imprisoned for being an innocent man. The purebloods who were Death Eaters didn't want to speak up about for a couple reasons. One, they really wouldn't gain anything for fighting for him. Two, it got one of the best fighters of the resistance out of the way."

So much for his godfather being a secret. Harry smiled grimly. "Figures. See, this is one reason why I need to be taught all these traditions. I want to free him and finally get the family I never had." He said the last bit so quietly that Draco and Daphne could barely hear him.

Daphne laid a hand on his arm. "Don't worry. I am sure with the right evidence and the right people participating in his trail, Sirius will get emancipated."

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks Daph."

Draco cleared his throat and interrupted the awkward silence that had ensued. "Right, so meet both of us library after classes are finished today. I'll bring a bunch of the books my tutors gave me when I was growing up and Daphne and I will give you the basics today. It might take a while before you can be a perfect pureblood heir, because I know that basically everyone in Slytherin was taught from a really young age. I also advise you to contact Gringotts so you are aware of all your assets and rights as the last living member of the Potter family. Make sure you have a good account manager as well and they can arrange a portkey for you to meet them. That way no one gets suspicious of how many letters are being sent, because no offence Potter, but you never really get that much mail, and when you do, it's almost always from that midget owl the Weasel's have."

Harry didn't even bother correcting Draco on the way he had said their name. As far as he knew, he was never going to go back to the Burrow. He was just done with they way Ron had treated him. He did feel a little guilty about how he was going to treat the other members of the family, especially Mr and Mrs. Weasley, when they had been nothing but kind to him. Whatever. What's done was done and he would never welcome Ron back with open arms ever again.

Daphne squeezed his hand reassuringly under the table. "Don't worry," she said softly. "Everything will turn out ok."

"Yeah, I know. I just want my life to settle down." He sighed and when he realized he only had thirty minutes to get to Charms that he had with Ravenclaw, he got up from the bench, and turned to leave, Draco and Daphne following suit.

"Let's meet right after Care of Magical Creatures," Harry suggested.

Daphne wrinkled her nose. "I don't take that class and it's not because of that giant. Imagine walking on the grass and there could be stuff on the ground and those slimy nasty creatures!" She shuddered. The two boys exchanged amused expressions, unbeknownst to her. "You know, Harry, I always wondered why you take Divination. I mean I know Hagrid is your friend and that's why you take CoMC, but Divination is complete rubbish. I mean even Granger walked out of that class. You should take something else. Ancient Runes and/or Arithmancy might help you later in the future. I know some of the more advanced spells require some knowledge of one or both of these classes. I can even help you catch up on all the material that we learned in third year. We honestly just kept reviewing the basics a lot last year."

Draco agreed. "I mean I take Care of Magical Creatures because I have heard Arithmancy is really hard, but I do take Ancient Runes. I think I might even take Arithmancy as well. Father's really been pushing me to do it." Draco made a face at he uttered the last sentence.

Harry frowned. "Yeah. I'll make sure to talk to McGonagall. I am sure it will help me in the future. You know, I did leave half an hour early so I should be able to change it now and and still make it to Charms on time."

With that, the new allies split up, two headed towards the History of Magic, the other former lion towards his Head of House.

o0o0o0o0

Harry walked into his favorite professor's classroom and found her waiting on the desk in her animagus form. He smirked as he recalled everyone's astonishment in first year when she had shifted back.

He approached the grey cat. "Professor?"

Professor McGonagall lept of the desk and stood before him in her usual form. "Is there something you need, Mr. Potter?" She looked at him sternly over her glasses.

"Can I change my schedule? I no longer want to take Divination, but would like to keep Care of Magical Creatures."

She looked at him curiously. "What would you like to take instead of Divination?"

"I was thinking of taking Ancient Runes and Arithmancy." When seeing her narrowed eyes and open mouth ready to ask a question, he hastily added, "Daphne has already said she would help me catch up on everything I missed last year, and if it turns out to be more than I can handle, I'll change it to something else."

She nodded. "Alright, Mr. Potter. I can do that." She looked at him sternly. "This however does not give you any sort of excuse and I only expect the best from my lions."

Harry's expression soured. "I don't think the rest of the house thinks of me as a lion anymore, Professor. I don't know if you have heard-"

"Oh, I heard everything about what happened last night." Her voice was hard. Upon seeing his shoulders slump, she added, "It does not change my view of you in any way, shape, or form, Harry. I still consider you to be one of my lions even if the rest of Gryffindor doesn't," in the gentlest voice she could muster.

He furiously scrubbed away the unexpected tears that had formed in his eyes. "Thank you, Professor."

She nodded tightly and blinked rather rapidly at his open display of vulnerability. "I'll have your schedule done by this evening and will give it to you at dinner, Mr. Potter."

Harry gave her a genuine and walked away with newfound respect for his teacher.

o0o0o0o0

The day seemed to be better than the young Potter expected. Of course he had been shunned by the everyone except the Slytherins. Harry realized that if Draco had welcomed him into his House, the rest of Slytherin would follow suit. They had even taken to helping him in sticky situations. While on his way to Herbology, a couple of older Gryffindors he didn't know had ambushed him and used "Petrificus Totalus" on him before he could even get his wand out of his pocket. Luckily, three Slytherins had rounded the corner at the exact same time they were about to use nastier hexes. They had quickly taken care of the older lions and helped him. They even escorted him to Herbology to make sure he wasn't cornered and defenseless again. Harry now realized they kept up a facade for the rest of the school, but inside they were sweet little dolls. Ok, maybe they weren't warm and fuzzy, but they definitely looked out for one another.

Finally the bell rang, signalling the end of class and Harry and Draco were gone. They arrived at the library and took a table in a small, secluded alcove.

Draco was explaining table manners and talk, when Daphne came.

"Oh, yes. Table manners. Did you already talk about which utensils you have to use for specific dishes?"

"Yes," Draco replied. "I walked him through all of that. He picked it up rather quickly, so I think we should move onto the manners of speaking and subtle hints and such. That will help him can teach him etiquette and dancing another day. That's more of your forte anyway."

Daphne nodded and turned to Harry. "Ok, so Slytherins are known for being cunning and sneaky. You learn how to not show any emotions or give away too many details so that your foes can't exploit your weaknesses. There are many ways to give people a message to your allies without the potential enemies standing by you knowing. For example, ladies use their fans to say something to the other young heiresses so that the men and others who are not aware of the code could merely think that's the way we wield our fans. I know I have done this with my mother several times. For example, tapping a closed fan on your wrist lightly can indicate to another person that it is time to leave the conversation or to retire from the event. This is just for girls and such. Gentlemen have a bit of a harder time trying to subtly deliver a message because it's harder. They have to word their ways in such a way that won't alarm anyone they don't like, but will still convey their ideas to their allies. Unfortunately, this can't be taught. You'll have to observe and practice and soon you'll be able to do this. Just remember one thing. Everything," Daphne said, "everything said in Slytherin almost always has a hidden message or double meaning to it. So _**always**_ watch your back. Your enemies will always strike when you least expect them to, so its always important to guard yourself and your mind." At Harry's questioning eyebrow, she said, "We'll talk about Occlumency later."

When Harry nodded, Draco interrupted the tense and gloomy atmosphere by procuring a thick tome from his bag and dropping them on the table. "This will go more in depth about everything we just mentioned. It also talks about a lot of other stuff, so until we explain it to you, you can just read the first few chapters."

"Ok, I'll be sure to read it tonight as soon we are done working on homework and after I write a letter to Gringotts. That way we can meet again tomorrow."

They nodded and began to do their homework. Harry found that if he actually concentrated, he could get his work done rather quickly. Although his increased concentration and willingness to do work also stemmed from his newfound drive and the relaxed, pleasant atmosphere. He didn't have to listen to Ron bemoaning about how unfair the Professors were, or listen to Hermione's badgering and bossy tone. He decided this was his best work yet and vowed to never sit with his former friends again.

o0o0o0o0

Harry returned to Gryffindor tower just before curfew started and went up to his dormitory, ignoring all the filthy looks that were tossed his way. As soon as he opened the door to the room he shared with the boys in his year, all conversation ceased. Ron turned an interesting shade of red and opened his mouth. Before Ron could make his ears bleed even more, Harry went to his bed, drew the curtains, and whispered, "Silencio."

Harry quickly withdrew parchment and quills before writing the long overdue letter to the prestigious bank.

 _Dear whomever it may concern,_

 _Due to shifting alliances, it has come to my attention that as an heir to an Ancient and Most Noble House, I should be aware of my current assets. I ask that I please be sent a document that lists all the funds in any vault the Potters should have. I understand that I will have to come to Gringotts in person to access or withdraw any funds from the vault that I own. I also request that I be sent a list of anything else I should have inherited from my deceased parents. After much thinking, I have reasonable suspicion to say that I think someone may be withholding knowledge or artifacts from me. Please let me know at your earliest convenience. May your gold always flow._

 _Sincerely,  
Harry James Potter of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter_

Satisfied with how the letter turned out, Harry set it on the nightstand with hopes that he would be able to send it with Hedwig tomorrow. He did his assigned reading and quickly got ready for bed. For the first time in months, the young boy fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	3. Gringotts

**A.N. So a warning, as of now, this chapter has not been checked by my beta yet, so I apologize for any mistakes made. I will post a revised version later on.**

Chapter 3:

The next morning, Harry sat once again at the Slytherin table. Sure the Slytherins weren't exactly comfortable with him, but they wouldn't dare defy the Silver Prince, who was, surprise surprise, the one and only Draco Malfoy. Harry had found that out only yesterday and had muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "how did the little ferret do that?" He had earned a nice punch to the gut for that. The only reason the Silver King didn't challenge Draco on letting a Gryffindor half-blood sit at their noble ancestors table was because Draco was able to dig up a surprising amount of dirt of Adrian Pucey. Apparently his father had poisoned his uncle and his sons so that he would be the only one to inherit the Pucey line and fortune. Draco threatened to expose this information, so naturally, the Slytherins had to fall in line behind the Silver King and Prince of Salazar Slytherin's house.

Screeches filled the Great Hall as hundreds of owls descended on the students. Packages and letters came from families. Today, Hedwig also bore a letter for Harry with an unfamiliar seal on it.

Harry looked at Draco who nodded in confirmation. "It's from Gringotts." Harry anxiously ripped open the envelope and read:

 _Lord Potter,_

 _What you have described is absolutely outrageous! You were supposed to start receiving fund statements the exact moment you turned eleven. I suspect that one or even a couple of wizards have been bribing one or some of the goblins in an effort to keep you ignorant of both your assets and the wizarding world itself. I assure you that I will not tolerate this. However, because of the severity of the situation that has come to light, I ask that you come meet me at Gringotts tonight at 7 pm. I will enclose a portkey in the envelope. I shall let you review the documents pertaining to all your accounts and heirlooms when you come meet me in case this letter falls into the wrong hands. May you always profit._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ragnok_

 _Director of Gringotts Bank_

After reading the letter, Harry had a satisfied smirk on his face. He gleefully showed them the letter.

"I have to tell Sirius about this. Besides, I think I want to see my parents will. They might have listed who their Secret Keeper was which could help."

"It may not be enough though," Daphne said. "The wizarding community has believed that Sirius has been guilty a little over thirteen years. You are going to need a little more evidence to tip the scales."

"You're probably right, Daph," Harry sighed. He rubbed his eyes, face weary. "Gosh, politics is so stupid."

o0o0o0o0

Classes went relatively the same for Harry. All the Gryffindors shot him nasty looks while the Slytherins helped him, albeit grudgingly. Soon, it came time to meet Draco and Daphne in the spot in the library. They kept other students away by using notice-me-not charms and a couple of handy concealing spells the two purebloods had learned from their parents.

"Ok, so did you read up on the passages in the book?" At Harry's nod, Draco continued on: "So, I was thinking that you basically know all the elements to becoming a proper pureblood heir. You just need to look up your family history and practically engrave it into your mind. This is crucial information and you need to be able to tell me all of your family members and what they did and who they married. If you don't know your history and someone questions you about it or mentions someone's name and you look clueless, you will look like a fool. Plus, rumours spread fast. You will lose respect-or in your case Potter, the ahem, _**nonexistent**_ , respect that you have earned." He smirked cheekily on the last sentence.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Har, har. You're hilarious. Yes, I get your point. I am sure I will find something in my parent's vaults regarding the Potter history and family."

Draco adopted a more serious expression. "But be careful about one thing. There is something that every Ancient and Most Noble House has. It's a book filled with family secrets-anything like spells and hidden scandals/stuff that only family should know. _**No one**_ , I repeat _**no one**_ , else should _**ever**_ get a hold of this, Potter." Draco's grey eyes were hard and serious. "This isn't a joke. Never let anyone see this information, even if they make an Unbreakable Vow not to share any information. This is how crucial that information is. It can bring a whole family down if it falls into the wrong hands. Just keep it inside your vault for now, and when you grow up, you can either keep it in the bank or move it to your manor."

Daphne nodded solemnly. "Draco's right Harry. This is serious business. It could cause a lot of damage if even one thing from the book is shared to someone who is by birth not a Potter."

"Ok. I'll make sure I won't even take it out of my vault." Honestly, Harry was a little scared now. The way they were talking about the book, it seemed as if his life depended on it.

o0o0o0o0

After they finished their homework, Harry arrived at his common room around 6:50. He trekked upstairs to his dorm. His room was blissfully free of any annoying Gryffindors. He quickly drew his curtains closed and got himself ready. He dressed in his nicest school robes, since he didn't have any ball-worthy robes (he would have to fix that and order some). At precisely seven o'clock, he touched the galleon that was his portkey and was promptly transported by magical means to the prestigious bank.

He ended up sprawled on his stomach feeling queasy. He groaned and lay still for a few moments to try and calm his churning tummy.

"Lord Potter?" Harry raised his head and when he saw who it was he smiled sheepishly. He carefully picked himself off the ground and dusted his robes off before sticking his hand out for the goblin he assumed was Ragnok to shake. The goblin looked astounded before his eyes softened a fraction of an inch and he accepted his hand.

"Just Harry if you don't mind. Lord Potter makes me feel old."

"Ah." Ragnok looked at Harry as if he had just figured out a puzzle. "It's funny. Your father said the same thing the first time he came here. He also had your eloquence and grace." Ragnok continued on, smirking slightly when he saw Harry's cheeks flush. On the next sentence, his voice grew more solemn. "Your parents were the kindest people I have ever had the chance of meeting. For this reason, I am the account manager for the Potters. All Potters will always be welcome at Gringotts."

Harry swallowed and choked out a "thank you". Ragnok allowed a few moments for Harry to compose himself before clapping his hands together. "Now, I believe we have a serious matter to discuss. Come, be seated before my desk and we will get this matter sorted out."

He nodded and settled himself onto the plush cushions of the chair. Ragnok digged around his desk a little before procuring a small bowl and a knife.

"I have no doubt that you are Harry James Potter. However, I am bound to follow the standard procedures of the bank, considering I put them in place," he said wryly. "So if you please, prick your finger and place exactly three drops into the is just to confirm your identity and see what you will inherit. This will tell me exactly what documents I can show you."

Harry quickly did what the goblin had told him to do and immediately words shone in the air.

 **Harry James Potter**

 **Heir to Potter, Peverell, Black**

 **Abilities:**

 **Parseltongue**

 **Natural Defense/Occlumency**

 **Descended from the Slytherin and Gryffindor lines through Maria Potter and Evan Slytherin**

Harry stared stunned at the facts. A Slytherin had married into the Potter family? He really needed to study his family tree.

He released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Wow. I never knew that I was descended from Salazar Slytherin, too. I guess I know another reason the Sorting Hat wanted me there? So what do you have to show me, sir?"

"Ragnok, Harry if you please." The director's eyes turned frosty and unforgiving. "Someone has been messing with the Potter accounts," he said silkily. "I believe that we have much to talk about."

o0o0o0o0

 **A.N. So I am just going to leave it at that for now. I know, I know. I didn't finish the bank conversation. Don't worry. I will finish it next chapter, as well as introduce a couple of new things. This was all the time I had to write. It's just a short, filler chapter. The next chapter will definitely be longer. . . I hope.**

 **I don't want to have a cliche evilDumbles. So I am not going to. He is going to be. . . possessed! If anyone guesses correctly who he will be possessed by, I will try to post the next chapter tomorrow! Hint: It's not anybody well-known. Also, if anyone thinks of a more creative chapter title, please let me know. I think my brain was mush by the end of this.**

 **PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! They let me know how I am doing and are extremely helpful! Thanks!**


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